Daniel Bowen
@danielbowen.au
Transport blogger / public transport advocate / campaigner and spokesperson for @ptua.org.au / professional geek. Opinions are all mine.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia
Coming to the @ptua.org.au Annual General Meeting? We had a great guest lined up who unfortunately couldn't make it - so it's me instead, talking about good and bad PT from my trip, and what we can learn from it. Slides including this from Lyon!
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
November 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Coming to the @ptua.org.au Annual General Meeting? We had a great guest lined up who unfortunately couldn't make it - so it's me instead, talking about good and bad PT from my trip, and what we can learn from it. Slides including this from Lyon!
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
See you Wednesday night!
ptua.wildapricot.org...
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
🎂🚉 Happy 140th birthday to Pascoe Vale station, opened 10th Nov 1885
A birthday present is coming soon - State Government has funded more trains on weekends and evenings, cutting waiting times from 30-40 minutes to 20 and reducing crowding. A welcome upgrade! More please!👍
A birthday present is coming soon - State Government has funded more trains on weekends and evenings, cutting waiting times from 30-40 minutes to 20 and reducing crowding. A welcome upgrade! More please!👍
November 10, 2025 at 8:45 AM
🎂🚉 Happy 140th birthday to Pascoe Vale station, opened 10th Nov 1885
A birthday present is coming soon - State Government has funded more trains on weekends and evenings, cutting waiting times from 30-40 minutes to 20 and reducing crowding. A welcome upgrade! More please!👍
A birthday present is coming soon - State Government has funded more trains on weekends and evenings, cutting waiting times from 30-40 minutes to 20 and reducing crowding. A welcome upgrade! More please!👍
Presumably a committee at Atlassian debated long into the night before they decided to rename the Confluence page command from "Copy" to "Duplicate" 😐
November 10, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Presumably a committee at Atlassian debated long into the night before they decided to rename the Confluence page command from "Copy" to "Duplicate" 😐
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
The Amazing World Of Tomorrow
November 3, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The Amazing World Of Tomorrow
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Friends of the Earth Australia (a national federation of regional/ local environment-justice groups across Australia and part of the broader international network; community-based, grassroots, working for an environmentally and socially just world) leaves X (17.460 followers)
Bluesky: @foe.org.au
Bluesky: @foe.org.au
November 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Friends of the Earth Australia (a national federation of regional/ local environment-justice groups across Australia and part of the broader international network; community-based, grassroots, working for an environmentally and socially just world) leaves X (17.460 followers)
Bluesky: @foe.org.au
Bluesky: @foe.org.au
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Good news! Not only is Sydney’s new Oxford Street cycleway doing numbers (3,000+ trips p/d) the other *five lanes* of traffic everyone was *so worried* about appear to be *just fine*(!)
November 6, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Good news! Not only is Sydney’s new Oxford Street cycleway doing numbers (3,000+ trips p/d) the other *five lanes* of traffic everyone was *so worried* about appear to be *just fine*(!)
In my travelogue I’m up to London. I tried to get a picture of a Slow Horses ad on a bus. Was blocked by lots of other buses. A good problem to have!
danielbowen.com/2025...
danielbowen.com/2025...
November 9, 2025 at 4:40 AM
In my travelogue I’m up to London. I tried to get a picture of a Slow Horses ad on a bus. Was blocked by lots of other buses. A good problem to have!
danielbowen.com/2025...
danielbowen.com/2025...
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
When connecting between infrequent services, it’s sheer luck whether it’s a short wait or a long one. That’s one reason better service frequency is so important to cut waiting times and make public transport more competitive with driving.
November 8, 2025 at 8:50 PM
When connecting between infrequent services, it’s sheer luck whether it’s a short wait or a long one. That’s one reason better service frequency is so important to cut waiting times and make public transport more competitive with driving.
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
This is a good article, worth reading.
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-smoking playbook is worth studying and learning from, and is completely applicable to oversized cars.
Via @davidzipper.bsky.social in @vox.com #CarBloat
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-smoking playbook is worth studying and learning from, and is completely applicable to oversized cars.
Via @davidzipper.bsky.social in @vox.com #CarBloat
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-tobacco playbook could help turn the US public against their beloved oversized cars.
www.vox.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:48 PM
This is a good article, worth reading.
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-smoking playbook is worth studying and learning from, and is completely applicable to oversized cars.
Via @davidzipper.bsky.social in @vox.com #CarBloat
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat. Why don’t we treat them like one?
The anti-smoking playbook is worth studying and learning from, and is completely applicable to oversized cars.
Via @davidzipper.bsky.social in @vox.com #CarBloat
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
#Melbourne trams spend a huge amount of their time just waiting for traffic lights.
Traffic light priority would mean faster trips, more competitive travel times, and even enable more frequent tram services with the current fleet.
Traffic light priority would mean faster trips, more competitive travel times, and even enable more frequent tram services with the current fleet.
November 7, 2025 at 7:01 AM
#Melbourne trams spend a huge amount of their time just waiting for traffic lights.
Traffic light priority would mean faster trips, more competitive travel times, and even enable more frequent tram services with the current fleet.
Traffic light priority would mean faster trips, more competitive travel times, and even enable more frequent tram services with the current fleet.
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Thanks to the Illinois’ massive investment in transit, Chicago has a bright transit future, with the dawn coming next year:
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen’s ambitious plan would also expand — from 20 to 30 routes — the so-called “Frequent Bus Network” that provides service “every ten minutes or better” between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
trib.al/Va4Ri0r
trib.al/Va4Ri0r
CTA plans 24-hour service on Orange Line to Midway, thanks to mass transit bailout
Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen’s ambitious plan would also expand — from 20 to 30 routes — the so-called “Frequent Bus Network” that provides service “every ten minutes or better” between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
trib.al
November 7, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Thanks to the Illinois’ massive investment in transit, Chicago has a bright transit future, with the dawn coming next year:
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
—50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide
—8-minute midday headways on rail lines
—24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
My Opal card wouldn't work.
A thread of unsolicited Melbourne thoughts 🔽
A thread of unsolicited Melbourne thoughts 🔽
November 6, 2025 at 11:02 PM
My Opal card wouldn't work.
A thread of unsolicited Melbourne thoughts 🔽
A thread of unsolicited Melbourne thoughts 🔽
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Housing in Australia is both too scarce and too expensive. Yet our major cities are among the least dense of their size in the world. Our latest Grattan report show how we can reform our urban planning rules to allow for more homes and better cities. 🧵
More homes, better cities: Letting more people live where they want
Three-storey townhouses and apartments should be permitted on all residential land in all capital cities as part of a concerted policy assault on Australia’s housing crisis.
grattan.edu.au
November 5, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Housing in Australia is both too scarce and too expensive. Yet our major cities are among the least dense of their size in the world. Our latest Grattan report show how we can reform our urban planning rules to allow for more homes and better cities. 🧵
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Heyington is the only railway station in Victoria with no step-free access, making the station difficult or impossible to use for people with mobility issues, prams, and even luggage. Click through and sign the petition here to get it upgraded: www.parliament.vic.g...
November 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Heyington is the only railway station in Victoria with no step-free access, making the station difficult or impossible to use for people with mobility issues, prams, and even luggage. Click through and sign the petition here to get it upgraded: www.parliament.vic.g...
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
This engagement in Stonnington is a preview of future service reviews in Yarra, e.g. should we cut some of our services, or instead grow our revenue, so we can deliver our aspirations?
November 4, 2025 at 8:41 PM
This engagement in Stonnington is a preview of future service reviews in Yarra, e.g. should we cut some of our services, or instead grow our revenue, so we can deliver our aspirations?
Champ Train Supernova #OasisLive25 #Melbourne
November 4, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Champ Train Supernova #OasisLive25 #Melbourne
Good service on the green lines - except Frankston is not running through to Southern Cross and the west, Williamstown is running as Newport shuttles, and the frequency from Newport to the City is halved. And the passenger info is confusing.
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
November 4, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Good service on the green lines - except Frankston is not running through to Southern Cross and the west, Williamstown is running as Newport shuttles, and the frequency from Newport to the City is halved. And the passenger info is confusing.
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
So not really good service. #Melbourne #MetroTrains
Blog: hooray, Europe holiday! Standby for my usual travelogues with excruciating detail!
Back from Europe!
Hello from an aeroplane somewhere between Milan and Singapore - I'm posting this from the air, lucky enough to be returning from a European holiday, my first time overseas since 2017. This time we stayed in three countries, five cities, visited three other cities, saw incredible architecture, famous landmarks, amazing old town streets, stunning scenery, [...]
danielbowen.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Blog: hooray, Europe holiday! Standby for my usual travelogues with excruciating detail!
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Better buses make it easier to get around. Good to see a bus network review for Ballarat pushing ahead.
Have your say here: engage.vic.gov.au/ba...
Have your say here: engage.vic.gov.au/ba...
November 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Better buses make it easier to get around. Good to see a bus network review for Ballarat pushing ahead.
Have your say here: engage.vic.gov.au/ba...
Have your say here: engage.vic.gov.au/ba...
This article ($) reckons up to 300 helicopter flights into Flemington for the entire #Melbourne Cup week. Up to 6 passengers per helicopter, so that's less than the capacity of two trains - a tiny fraction of total patrons. And more than a hundred times the fare. www.theage.com.au/bu... #AirTaxis
Melbourne Cup VIP helicopter airlift set to begin
One after another, they arrive, with their VIP passengers on board, before taking off again.
www.theage.com.au
November 1, 2025 at 7:10 AM
This article ($) reckons up to 300 helicopter flights into Flemington for the entire #Melbourne Cup week. Up to 6 passengers per helicopter, so that's less than the capacity of two trains - a tiny fraction of total patrons. And more than a hundred times the fare. www.theage.com.au/bu... #AirTaxis
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Sorry, it's 8:15pm, and you're too late to catch the last bus home from the station.😬
October 30, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Sorry, it's 8:15pm, and you're too late to catch the last bus home from the station.😬
“Hey, I was looking at that!” - me to every phone app ever, as it resets to a default view.😡
October 30, 2025 at 9:07 AM
“Hey, I was looking at that!” - me to every phone app ever, as it resets to a default view.😡
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
IMPORTANT: The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility.
Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.
#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com
Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.
#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:51 AM
IMPORTANT: The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility.
Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.
#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com
Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.
#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com
Reposted by Daniel Bowen
Good interchanges help make getting around by public transport easier for more people. Having the buses and trams stop right outside the station is the first step. Frequent services to minimise waiting also make a big difference.
October 26, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Good interchanges help make getting around by public transport easier for more people. Having the buses and trams stop right outside the station is the first step. Frequent services to minimise waiting also make a big difference.